BREAKING: Supreme Court Okays President Trump’s Plan to Resegregate Schools
July 15, 2025
Washington, DC – On Monday, July 14, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration permission to proceed with mass layoffs at the Department of Education. The emergency ruling, which was issued without justification on the court’s shadow docket, will weaken the department as part of an ongoing attempt to usher in an era of resegregated schools where only the most privileged can access quality education.
In response, Advancement Project’s Opportunity to Learn Program Director Adaku Onyeka-Crawford issued the following statement:
“The Supreme Court’s ruling to allow President Trump to drastically downsize the Department of Education’s workforce is a deliberate step toward resegregating schools and reverting the U.S. into a country where only the most privileged people can access quality educational opportunities while everyone else is left behind. These layoffs strip away crucial protections for Black, brown, disabled, queer, and low-income students who rely on the federal government to ensure equal educational opportunities—no matter who you are or where you live.
“At the same time, President Trump is trying to illegally withhold $6.8 billion in funds to school districts. This is money that Congress appropriated earlier this year that would go towards much needed programs, such as before- and after-school enrichment activities that benefit students and working families, legally required services for the 5.3 million students who are learning English, and professional development programs for teachers. As a result, some summer training programs have been put on hold, and thousands of afterschool programs may have to close—meaning loss of childcare for parents, extra learning opportunities for students, and jobs for those providers.
“It is clear that the administration doesn’t have the legal authority to do any of this, but the Supreme Court has failed its constitutional duty to check an out-of-control executive. It now falls to Congress to protect the decades of progress toward educational equity that the Department made possible—and for constituents to push legislators to action. Otherwise, the Trump administration will continue to rob rural, middle-class, and other communities of color of quality educational opportunities, and the effects will be felt for generations across the country. We need a strong public education system for the sake of our children and the future of our multiracial democracy.”
